


Strung Together

by Hipstersandprettyboys



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Eventual Smut, Josh does too, M/M, Soul Mate AU, This is kinda angsty, Tyler has some mental health issues, but it'll be happy don't worry, mainly anixety, red string of fate ya'll
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-09
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-04-30 19:19:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5176682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hipstersandprettyboys/pseuds/Hipstersandprettyboys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if when you were a child, in school, part of your lesson involved how to greet your soulmate? How to approach them when you saw the thin, yet strong, red thread sweeping from yourself to another person. To remain calm and be kind. Always be kind.</p>
<p>(Joshler soul mate AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Seeing Red

**Author's Note:**

> If you like this let me know! Also I'm not quite sure what's going to happen yet so I'm open to suggestions!
> 
> -Uncle Alien.

What if when you were a child, in school, part of your lesson involved how to greet your soulmate? How to approach them when you saw the thin, yet strong, red thread sweeping from yourself to  
another person. To remain calm and be kind. Always be kind. This was stressed heavily to the children. Children who were too young to understand the gravity of the red strings importance. Honestly how could they at the tender of age of 10? None of them did, this included a scrawny, fluffy haired boy who sat in the back. He always sat in the back, keeping his eyes down at his shoes, knees pulled up to his chest as his mind wandered off. Thinking about recess and if he could get outside first he could grab one of the basket balls from the basket outside the class room door. If he was first he could get to the hoops first and just shoot all recess by himself. Yeah he could probably make about 20 shots before the bell rang.

“Tyler?” A soft voice called to him. Dazed brown eyes flickered up to a ginger haired woman, oh darn he’d been day dreaming again. The woman smiled kindly down at him then stood up, and Tyler flinched a bit, he didn’t like when people stood over him. He quickly stood eyes still cast down as he chewed his bottom lip.

“Tyler, honey recess has started don’t you wanna go play with your friends?” She smiled warmly, Tyler always liked her smile, and it felt real, not like when the lady he had to talk to on Friday’s smiled at him. Her smile made him feel upset, made his insides twist in unlabeled emotions his young mind couldn’t understand. He thinks her name’s Dr. Broady. His teacher calls his name once more and he shakes his head. She smiles to him again then leads him outside, her curly, red hair blowing in the wind. He likes Ms. Wilson’s hair, it’s like the red string he can see tied around his little finger. Red was his favorite color.

 

**6 years later**

Why did the doors here have to be so heavy? That was Tyler’s first thought as he made his way down the hall. Loud. Was his second thought as he continued his fast paced walk, purple encircled eyes that were glued down at the slip of paper in his hands his Mom had given him when he left this morning. It was his locker number and combination to said locker, but he couldn’t keep his attention on the numbers in his slim fingers. They were all too loud, talking about their summers, and some excited over how they met their soul mates. Oh. Tyler thought as he glanced up from his slip of paper, hands shaking as he tried to block out all the noise. He wasn’t sure if he even had one, maybe his string was tied to nothing. He wouldn’t be graced with a soul mate would he? He was sure the gods wouldn’t hook any poor innocent soul to him. He was an anchor. Suddenly he was falling. What happened? Oh. He ran into someone. Tyler quickly looked up shuffling back as the person he ran into fell into his lap.

“S-Sorry…oh my god…I’m so sorry!” A shaking voice speaks to him, the boy who he ran into stands up quickly. Tyler looks up to him brown eyes meeting hazel. Usually extended eye contact made him uncomfortable, but there was an odd warmth that filled his chest as he held this strangers stare. There he sits utterly speechless, mouth a gap as he tries to process what was happening. The stranger smiles to him and helps Tyler up, he notices the boy’s hands shaking slightly, but he’s more interested in his smile. It’s like an angel had painted it onto his face. The way his eyes squint a bit and his lips stretch. Tyler’s instantly drawn to him like a moth to flame.

“Are you okay? I’m not gonna beat you up or something, accidents happen. I’m Josh.” The stranger, no Josh, says softly as he brushes Tyler’s red sweater off. Tyler shakes his head, eyes blinking the blurry away. His brain starts to work again and he lets out a soft huff.  
“Your voice is nice.” Smooth he thought biting his lip eyes looking to his shoes. He wanted to look at Josh, take in his sharp jaw and kind eyes. This was strange, this was new, Tyler didn’t usually like new, but Josh….he was a good new. When his eyes glance up his breath catches in his throat. Red. Tyler can see the bright, red thread hanging daintily from Josh’s little finger. Josh has gone ridged, he notices.

“I-I can….I can see your string…?” Josh mumbles out, just the hint of a crack to his voice. Tyler nods as he affirms he can see Josh’s as well. His hearts fluttering, and Josh is tugging at the string a bit when he moves his hand back, hazel eyes shining with joy. He turns another of his sun like smiles at the fluffy haired boy, and Tyler sores. He’s found his soul mate, well ran into him literally, and now here he was being non-verbal.

“I’m Tyler….guess I’m your soul mate…” Tyler whispers out eyes looking over Josh. His hair was a beautiful shade of dark brown, almost like a dark chocolate, and it was curly like his own, just not as fluffy. He had the urge to touch it, but instead took in the milky hue of Josh’s skin, like he had never been outside. A huge contrast to his own. Hours of playing basketball in his driveway without a shirt on. The boy’s shaken from his thoughts for what seems to be the 4th time today as he catches the other looking him over too. He’s suddenly leaning in close, chapped lips near his ear, and Tyler should be freaking out should be shoving him away from being too close and touching. Nothing, he just lets him do as he wants.

“There’s people staring, and talking so we should go outside and talk.” Josh finally whispers before pulling back. His eyes drop down to the string and his perfect smile is back and taking Tyler’s breath. Oh. He was making sure Tyler was comfortable. Josh looks to the finger his string is connected to, then to his new soul mates face.

“Um…okay, yeah…I’m not good with lots of people.” Tyler admits, his eyes catching Josh’s glance to his hand. A rush of confidence ascends upon him and he takes Josh’s hand with the thread tied to the little find and grins widely. It feels almost foreign to his face, but feels so right. As they’re walking outside Tyler’s glancing between Josh’s relaxed expression as fresh air hits them, and the delicate looking tether between them. Red really was his favorite color.


	2. Awkward boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Sadly not with my other fic but hey I gotta add to this one! -Jake

The air was cool as it gently caressed the golden boy's face, and goose bumps crawled along his skin like spiders. Tyler looked up from battered shoes to the pale boys face, there's a tug on his heart strings, it was like an immediate connection, and well it was the string made it so. 

"S-so...um..yeah we're soulmates?" Josh stammered laughing some as he rubbed the back of his neck, My Chemical Romance sweater zipped all the way up to his throat. It made Tyler's hands itch to pull it down. _That's dangerous. Pull it down. Breathe. Stay alive._ His brain fired off like a sub machine gun, in rapid fire thoughts. He swallows rubbing at his own throat before looking up to Josh's face. 

"Yeah we are..." The younger boy says a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. So many new feelings, so many odd reactions his body was giving him. 

"Should we go on a date?" Josh asks scratching at a calluse on his thumb. Tyler tilts his head for a moment and nods silently. Though he reaches out with slender fingers and small hands taking Josh's hand and halting his scratching. 

"You have nice hands don't do that." Tyler smiles eyes shining. It was like a sun was going super nova in his chest. Where their skin met, bursted like fireworks to his heart which hammered quickly. 

"How about um...how about we meet up out here after school and I'll take you out for dinner?" The pale offers head tilted, angel smile blinding Tyler again. He thinks for a moment about buying sunglasses to even look at Josh's beautiful smile. 

"Uh-huh that sounds good." Tyler grins fully he's going to spontainiously combust he just knows it. He let's go of Josh hand to fold his in front of himself. The elder boy grins even wider laughing as he seems to vibrate in place. He checks the time with his phone and gasps before throwing his backpack onto his shoulder. 

"Gotta go for first period, you should go to can't be late." Josh says before turning on his heels, he walks a few feet before rushing back and pecking Tyler's cheek with a smile before running inside.

"Oh..." Tyler gasps softly before gripping the straps of his backpack. He had a date! A real date! He giggled softly before texting his best friend. Oh man he needed help with this, but for now he walked up the steps and made his way to class. A date a real date he thought signing contently as he sat at the back of the classroom. __ __

  


  



	3. Chipping Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooo boooooy updating twice in one day! ┐(ﾟдﾟ┐)

Quietly the teen sits slumped over his desk, chin in his hands as be stared blankly at the front of the room. His teacher was an elderly woman but had the energy of a 22 year old, and a strict rule over the class. Everyone listened to Mrs. Valadao. Tyler had been rather scared of her the first day they met, he had been scribbling away in a notebook when she walked up to him and cleared her throat. Mrs. Valadao wasn't rude or mean about it, rather just telling him to pay attention in a sweet voice. It was so comforting to him that he has a teacher that didn't yell. Now though he's squirming in his seat wanting to move, to run, to climb. Man he could climb the school so fast. Just sit on the roof, sit with Josh.  _Josh._ Gods strike him down now if this was a fluke. Like what happened with his parents, they argued constantly. His mother even threatening a severing. Tyler's skin crawled at the thought of being trapped in a loveless bond. _Maybe it'll happen nothing ever stays good for you._ His thoughts shot off once again striking him like a shotgun to the heart. No. No it wasn't like that he knew it wouldn't. He covered his ears and closed his eyes trying to focus on staying here in the now. Suddenly the bell rang for lunch. Jumping like a frightened cat Tyler rushed out of the room. 

"Aye Ty guy!" He heard a voice yelling for him as he entered the florescent lit halls. Tired eyes looked around finally finding the person he sighed in relief. Speed walking through the crowd of bodies he waved to a tall, lanky boy glasses glued over his face and hair whipping around as he waved back energetically. 

"Hey Dal..how was band?" Tyler questions head turned upwards. The tall boy shrugs a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"The others were kinda bulling Beebo again..." Dallon mumbles looking away. Tyler cringes at the thought of the other teens attacking Brendon again. He'd been in the hospital twice for this.

"Gods I wish they would just stop..its not his fault...not like he chose this." The small boy sighed heavily, fidgeting with the string to his sweater. Dallon nods in agreement before clapping his hands together. 

"Okaaay, so I heard word you found your soulmate?" The taller grins, glasses sliding down his nose as he ducks some to look Tyler in the eye. The later bites his lip and shrugs putting his hands up. 

"Yeah...he's...really pretty." Tyler breathes out dreamily. His cheeks flush with heat, and he squeezes his fists wanting to run again. He couldn't wait for P.E. 

"Ahhhhh!! Ty that's fricking amazing!!" Dallon gasps gripping Tyler's shoulders shaking him some, which causes the younger to squeak and push away. 

"Wooah calm down!" Tyler yelps hugging himself with a frail smile. Touching was a no no. He knew the other didn't mean to but he couldn't help the put burst. 

"Man Ty...you gotta..like try to work on that.." Dallon frowns with a sigh. He understood Tyler's needs but would Tyler's  new soulmate?

"I just..stop.." The younger grumbles fixing hisbackpack. He turns to walk to P.E. but a hand stops him, and he groans snapping around with fire in dark eyes shining dangerously. 

"Frickin' stop it!" He shouts eyes narrowed and teeth showing in an angry expression. Dallon gasps pulling his hand back as if burned. Tyler pants for a moment before rushing out the exit door.

"Gods...this guys gotta have iron will to be chipping away at that brick wall.." Dallon mumbles turning to walk down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hit me up on my blog I don't mind! Getup-babyboy.tumblr.com (´ε｀*)


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